It was Karishma's second day in the house. Khushi had spent most part of the previous night just checking on her daughter and ensuring she was still here, ensuring that she was doing ok. Karishma had slept peacefully after tiring herself with nonstop chanting of the words "new home". Khushi smiled to herself remembering that. Last night, when she asked Karishma if she liked her new home, Karishma in response only repeatedly said, "new home, new home". Arnav then told khushi that although Karishma could speak, her words and sentences were often incoherent, and most times she just repeated what was asked to her or told her...hearing that, khushi suppressed her urge to ask Karishma to call her mother.
Arnav woke up a few minutes later and saw khushi watch Karishma attentively. He wondered if she slept well last night. But knowing her, it was a futile question to ask, khushi had always been a light sleeper around their kids and wouldn't be different this time either.
A minute later, Karishma stirred in her sleep and as khushi waited anxiously, Karishma opened her eyes. And perhaps, she noticed she was in new surroundings, that she panicked and started crying. Instinctively, khushi tried to reach out and hold her to soothe her but to her bad luck, she was still quite a stranger to her daughter and Karishma kept pushing her hand away, crying even harder. Khushi felt helpless.
Arnav then picked her in his arms, and she let him, perhaps knowing that touch. However, she still kept hitting him as he held her close.
"Shh. Calm down angel. I have got you. You are ok. This is your house." He kept pacifying her, caressing her back as her cries slowly subsided and reduced to hiccups.
Arnav slowly looked up to see Khushi looking at them with teary eyes and then, got up to leave for the bathroom. He knew karishma's behavior had upset her and he was the reason for making khushi stranger for their daughter. But knowing Karishma, he hoped he could bridge the gap between them very soon. After all, last evening, Karishma had gone to khushi without making a fuss. It was just that this was her first morning in a new home and she had panicked, fearing she was in a strange place. It was sad that for karishma, hospitals and sheetal-pranav's house was more familiar than her own!
Khushi waited anxiously near the breakfast table as Arnav freshened up Karishma and brought her there. After the morning incident, she was very fearful of Karishma throwing another fit seeing her. And given her baby's condition, she didn't want to stress her. She had kept karishma's morning medicines in a bowl along with some warm milk and fruits. Dr. Sheetal had told her that Karishma was born with a lung defect, known as pulmonary hypoplasia, which meant her lungs were underdeveloped. Quite an uncommon condition but given karishma's premature birth at 7th month, it may have led to it. That had also affected her neurodevelopmental growth as well, leading to her mental instability. And given the low chances of survival for such kids, doctors had kept her on medication.
Khushi gulped a difficult boulder of saliva formed in her throat and watched as Arnav carried Karishma inside the dining room. He made her sit on a chair and then looked at khushi with an assuring nod, telling her that their daughter was ok now.
Khushi took a hesitant step near Karishma and felt relieved when Karishma didn't freak out.
Arnav indicated with his eyes that khushi could feed her now.
Khushi took a very small piece of cut apple and held near karishma's mouth. She accepted it and started chewing on it, much to khushi's joy.
"Angel, she is your mamma. And she loves you a lot." Arnav said, hoping Karishma would somehow decipher the meaning.
However, the child was unaware of both the term 'mother' and the relationship. On the other hand, "love" she knew and identified. And thus, Karishma held khushi's hand and said, "loves you, loves you, loves you."
